A day after Norah Jones released her new album Visions, the singer appeared on CBS Saturday Morning’s Saturday Sessions to showcase three tracks from her latest LP.
Making a return appearance, Jones delivered first single “Running,” “All This Time,” and “I Just Wanna Dance” from her ninth studio album and first non-Christmas LP since 2020’s Pick Me Up Off the Floor.
“The reason I called the album Visions is because a lot of the ideas came in the middle of the night or in that moment right before sleep,...
Making a return appearance, Jones delivered first single “Running,” “All This Time,” and “I Just Wanna Dance” from her ninth studio album and first non-Christmas LP since 2020’s Pick Me Up Off the Floor.
“The reason I called the album Visions is because a lot of the ideas came in the middle of the night or in that moment right before sleep,...
- 3/9/2024
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
From a filmmaker’s perspective, it’s always fortuitous when the name of an artist’s signature work encapsulates the journey that they made in their life and career. What else to call a film about Johnny Cash? “Walk the Line,” of course. A Tina Turner biopic? “What’s Love Got to Do With It.” Aretha Franklin? “Respect,” of course. There’s a reason the forthcoming Bon Jovi docuseries is called “Thank You, Goodnight,” and not “You Give Love a Bad Name.”
A portrait of the disco luminary but not a biopic, “Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive” follows in this estimable tradition. But Betsy Schechter’s documentary — which will get a one-night theatrical release in roughly 800 theaters on Feb. 13 following a healthy festival run — also showcases why that serendipity can come at a greater price to the artist than their film’s marketing prospects: Examining the looming shadow of the singer...
A portrait of the disco luminary but not a biopic, “Gloria Gaynor: I Will Survive” follows in this estimable tradition. But Betsy Schechter’s documentary — which will get a one-night theatrical release in roughly 800 theaters on Feb. 13 following a healthy festival run — also showcases why that serendipity can come at a greater price to the artist than their film’s marketing prospects: Examining the looming shadow of the singer...
- 2/13/2024
- by Todd Gilchrist
- Variety Film + TV
Norah Jones has announced her new album Visions, her first new (non-Christmas) LP in nearly four years.
Ahead of Visions’ March 8 release, Jones has shared its first single “Running,” which — like the majority of the album — is a collaboration with producer and multi-instrumentalist Leon Michels, a contributor to both Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings and the Arcs.
“The reason I called the album Visions is because a lot of the ideas came in the middle of the night or in that moment right before sleep, and ‘Running’ was one of them...
Ahead of Visions’ March 8 release, Jones has shared its first single “Running,” which — like the majority of the album — is a collaboration with producer and multi-instrumentalist Leon Michels, a contributor to both Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings and the Arcs.
“The reason I called the album Visions is because a lot of the ideas came in the middle of the night or in that moment right before sleep, and ‘Running’ was one of them...
- 1/18/2024
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
It’s been nearly a quarter of a century since Róisín Murphy and Mark Brydon, as electronic music duo Moloko, secured their biggest hit, “Sing It Back.” It’s worth looking back on who else populated the highest echelons of the U.K. charts the time, if only because it underscores how rare it is for an artist like Murphy to maintain such a creative streak. Even by the consistently high standard of her past work, though, Hit Parade represents a new creative peak.
The album contains some of Murphy’s most infectious melodies to date, but as with so much of Hit Parade, there’s far more to songs like “Fader” than just pop hooks. Behind the track’s not-quite-radio-friendly chorus and absurdist lyrics—“I lay eggs every single time I think of you”—lays an expert sample of “Window Shopping” by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. Murphy delivers...
The album contains some of Murphy’s most infectious melodies to date, but as with so much of Hit Parade, there’s far more to songs like “Fader” than just pop hooks. Behind the track’s not-quite-radio-friendly chorus and absurdist lyrics—“I lay eggs every single time I think of you”—lays an expert sample of “Window Shopping” by Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. Murphy delivers...
- 9/6/2023
- by Tom Williams
- Slant Magazine
Luis Felber’s life changed in January 2021 when a mutual friend set him up on a blind date with Lena Dunham. The Winchester, U.K.-born son of a North London Jewish businessman father and Peruvian painter mom, Felber was at first hesitant, having been in lockdown for most of the year, writing love songs on his iPhone for his group Atttawalpa.
“I wasn’t in a place where I was looking for love,” the 36-year-old musician explains, revealing he’d never seen an episode of “Girls,” though his mom and sister were big fans. “Covid wasn’t exactly the sexiest time to meet someone. We texted for two days before we hung out. We’re not one-word types… we throw our emotions at the phone and our fingertips
“Literally, the moment I met Lena I was infatuated with her. I just wanted to talk to her forever. I feel...
“I wasn’t in a place where I was looking for love,” the 36-year-old musician explains, revealing he’d never seen an episode of “Girls,” though his mom and sister were big fans. “Covid wasn’t exactly the sexiest time to meet someone. We texted for two days before we hung out. We’re not one-word types… we throw our emotions at the phone and our fingertips
“Literally, the moment I met Lena I was infatuated with her. I just wanted to talk to her forever. I feel...
- 9/9/2022
- by Roy Trakin
- Variety Film + TV
There are hundreds of colorful lightbulbs behind the stage of the dive-y Brooklyn venue Baby’s All Right, winking at the crowd gathered to see rock duo Mattiel. Then, suddenly, the room goes dark and a new image comes up to replace the lights: the projected face of Jeff Goldblum.
“He came and met me in the bathroom,” croons singer Atina Mattiel Brown, also known mononymously as Mattiel. “A little like a younger Jeff Goldblum/About to take my heart and break it pretty soon.”
Beside her, multi-instrumentalist Jonah Swilley...
“He came and met me in the bathroom,” croons singer Atina Mattiel Brown, also known mononymously as Mattiel. “A little like a younger Jeff Goldblum/About to take my heart and break it pretty soon.”
Beside her, multi-instrumentalist Jonah Swilley...
- 3/23/2022
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
Daptone Records has released two more tracks from its upcoming live compilation The Daptone Super Soul Revue Live at the Apollo: Naomi Shelton and the Gospel Queens’ “Thank You Lord” and Saun and Starr’s “Confess It.”
“Thank You Lord” finds Shelton — who died earlier this year at the age of 78 — in fine form as she vamps and praises over a slick soul shuffle. Saun and Starr’s “Confess It,” meanwhile, feels like a smoldering Saturday night counterpart to Shelton’s Sunday morning worship, the two singers conjuring a burning secret with their dueling vocals.
“Thank You Lord” finds Shelton — who died earlier this year at the age of 78 — in fine form as she vamps and praises over a slick soul shuffle. Saun and Starr’s “Confess It,” meanwhile, feels like a smoldering Saturday night counterpart to Shelton’s Sunday morning worship, the two singers conjuring a burning secret with their dueling vocals.
- 8/18/2021
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
No other label has carried the torch more for soul and funk music than Daptone Records, the beloved New York institution who, for two decades, have both revived and minted some of the best musicians and singers the genre has to offer. Through the work of a group of music obsessives working out of a small Brooklyn recording studio, artists like Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley, Antibalas, the Dap-Kings, Lee Fields, the Budos Band and the Menahan Street Band helped resurrect and modernize soul and funk.
In celebration of the label’s 20th anniversary,...
In celebration of the label’s 20th anniversary,...
- 8/17/2021
- by Rolling Stone
- Rollingstone.com
Daptone Records will celebrate its 20th anniversary with a new live compilation, The Daptone Super Soul Revue Live at the Apollo, set to arrive October 1st.
The three-lp vinyl was recorded during the Daptone Super Soul Revue’s three-night stand at the Apollo in December 2014. The collection features Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Charles Bradley, Naomi Shelton, Antibalas, the Budos Band, Menahan Street Band, Sugarman 3, Saun and Starr, and the Como Mamas.
To preview the set, Daptone released two performances: Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaries delivering “Let Love Stand a Chance,...
The three-lp vinyl was recorded during the Daptone Super Soul Revue’s three-night stand at the Apollo in December 2014. The collection features Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Charles Bradley, Naomi Shelton, Antibalas, the Budos Band, Menahan Street Band, Sugarman 3, Saun and Starr, and the Como Mamas.
To preview the set, Daptone released two performances: Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaries delivering “Let Love Stand a Chance,...
- 7/7/2021
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Three years ago, Leon Michels found himself enamored with a house in Rhinebeck, a bucolic town nestled on the east side of the Hudson River a little less than 2 hours north of New York City. The multi-instrumentalist and producer, best known for his work as the leader of the elegant retro-soul band El Michels Affair, had spent the majority of his life in the relentless churn of the New York music scene, and he wasn’t sure if he was ready to head to the suburbs. “We were sort of just messing around,...
- 3/26/2021
- by T.M. Brown
- Rollingstone.com
Whether it’s coming out of Nashville, New York, L.A., or points in between, there’s no shortage of fresh tunes, especially from artists who have yet to become household names. Rolling Stone Country selects some of the best new music releases from country and Americana artists. (Check out last week’s best songs.)
Sunny War, “Mama’s Milk”
Folk-punk singer-songwriter Sunny War suffers no fools in the charmingly loose “Mama’s Milk” from the upcoming album Simple Syrup, out March 26th. “I’ll spit ya back up again...
Sunny War, “Mama’s Milk”
Folk-punk singer-songwriter Sunny War suffers no fools in the charmingly loose “Mama’s Milk” from the upcoming album Simple Syrup, out March 26th. “I’ll spit ya back up again...
- 3/22/2021
- by Jon Freeman and Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
Menahan Street Band, an all-star Brooklyn collective featuring members of Budos Band, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, and Charles Bradley’s backing band, have announced their first album in nearly a decade.
The Exciting Sounds of Menahan Street Band, available to preorder now via Daptone Records ahead of its February 26th, 2021 release date, is preceded by the arrival of the album’s first single and opening track “Midnight Morning.” The laid-back track — like the Menahan Street Band’s output in general — seamlessly fuses elements of funk, R&b, hip-hop, and rock into an instrumental stew.
The Exciting Sounds of Menahan Street Band, available to preorder now via Daptone Records ahead of its February 26th, 2021 release date, is preceded by the arrival of the album’s first single and opening track “Midnight Morning.” The laid-back track — like the Menahan Street Band’s output in general — seamlessly fuses elements of funk, R&b, hip-hop, and rock into an instrumental stew.
- 12/3/2020
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Whether it’s coming out of Nashville, New York, L.A., or points in between, there’s no shortage of fresh tunes, especially from artists who have yet to become household names. Rolling Stone Country selects some of the best new music releases from country and Americana artists.
Pony Bradshaw, “Dope Mountain”
Pony Bradshaw gives a lyrical description of life in the rural South in “Dope Mountain,” a place crawling with kudzu, poison sumac, and a haunted past. But this keening waltz from the upcoming album Calico Jim is also...
Pony Bradshaw, “Dope Mountain”
Pony Bradshaw gives a lyrical description of life in the rural South in “Dope Mountain,” a place crawling with kudzu, poison sumac, and a haunted past. But this keening waltz from the upcoming album Calico Jim is also...
- 11/30/2020
- by Jon Freeman and Joseph Hudak
- Rollingstone.com
And when all the votes were counted, Sharon Jones won in a landslide.
On Monday night, the city council of North Augusta, South Carolina, voted unanimously to name a new outdoor amphitheater in town after Jones, the late-blooming R&b and soul singer who died in 2016 of pancreatic cancer. The venue, currently known as the Riverside Village Amphitheater, will soon be rechristened the Sharon Jones Amphitheater. “This is so cool,” says Gabe Roth, who helped bring Jones out of obscurity when he signed her to his Daptone label in the...
On Monday night, the city council of North Augusta, South Carolina, voted unanimously to name a new outdoor amphitheater in town after Jones, the late-blooming R&b and soul singer who died in 2016 of pancreatic cancer. The venue, currently known as the Riverside Village Amphitheater, will soon be rechristened the Sharon Jones Amphitheater. “This is so cool,” says Gabe Roth, who helped bring Jones out of obscurity when he signed her to his Daptone label in the...
- 11/3/2020
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
“Museum Town,” a documentary narrated by Meryl Streep, will release on demand in December.
The film is playing exclusively on Kino Lorber’s virtual cinemas platform, Kino Marquee, starting on Dec. 4. It will be made available on other digital platforms, cable and streaming services in the coming months.
“Museum Town” tells the story of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art — an unconventional museum in the small town of North Adams, Mass — and the power of art to transform a barren post-industrial city. Jennifer Trainer, a former journalist and one of the original builders of Mass MoCA, directed the documentary. The film had its world premiere at this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival.
“‘Museum Town’ demonstrates that art can be a path to economic recovery, but it’s also a story about risk,” Trainer said. “In 1986, when as a journalist I first learned about the idea for Mass MoCA...
The film is playing exclusively on Kino Lorber’s virtual cinemas platform, Kino Marquee, starting on Dec. 4. It will be made available on other digital platforms, cable and streaming services in the coming months.
“Museum Town” tells the story of the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art — an unconventional museum in the small town of North Adams, Mass — and the power of art to transform a barren post-industrial city. Jennifer Trainer, a former journalist and one of the original builders of Mass MoCA, directed the documentary. The film had its world premiere at this year’s South by Southwest Film Festival.
“‘Museum Town’ demonstrates that art can be a path to economic recovery, but it’s also a story about risk,” Trainer said. “In 1986, when as a journalist I first learned about the idea for Mass MoCA...
- 10/30/2020
- by Rebecca Rubin
- Variety Film + TV
Daptone Records dropped Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings’ cover of Dusty Springfield’s “Little by Little,” off the upcoming compilation, Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Rendition Was In), out October 23rd.
Originally recorded for a Springfield compilation, Jones and the Dap-Kings’ version stays true to the original, contributing a bustling horn section. “You’re messing up my life, tearing me apart,” Jones sings. “Breaking up my world and I’m giving up my heart/Little by little by little by little.”
“Little by Little” follows the rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed,...
Originally recorded for a Springfield compilation, Jones and the Dap-Kings’ version stays true to the original, contributing a bustling horn section. “You’re messing up my life, tearing me apart,” Jones sings. “Breaking up my world and I’m giving up my heart/Little by little by little by little.”
“Little by Little” follows the rendition of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed,...
- 10/7/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
Daptone Records has shared Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings’ sly interpretation of Stevie Wonder’s “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours,” which will be included on an upcoming compilation, Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Rendition Was In), out October 23rd.
The new set features five never-before-heard covers and a handful of others that were previously released in other formats. The covers include a cross-section of faithful recreations and others — like this take on “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” — that are practically new tracks.
Jones and the Dap-Kings recorded “Signed, Sealed, Delivered...
The new set features five never-before-heard covers and a handful of others that were previously released in other formats. The covers include a cross-section of faithful recreations and others — like this take on “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” — that are practically new tracks.
Jones and the Dap-Kings recorded “Signed, Sealed, Delivered...
- 9/15/2020
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
“Rebuild the system, reclaim the power,” raps Philadelphia artist R-son the Voice of Reason on Gangstagrass’ cover of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land.” “If this land is yours, it’s certainly ours.”
Gangstagrass is a rising bluegrass/hip-hop fusion collective, best known for contributing the theme song to FX’s Justified. On “Your Land,” they join forces with upstart Oklahoma R&b singer Branjae, who delivers Guthrie’s original lyrics alongside brand-new rapped verses from R-son and Dolio the Sleuth.
Plenty of groups have reimagined Guthrie’s standard in recent decades,...
Gangstagrass is a rising bluegrass/hip-hop fusion collective, best known for contributing the theme song to FX’s Justified. On “Your Land,” they join forces with upstart Oklahoma R&b singer Branjae, who delivers Guthrie’s original lyrics alongside brand-new rapped verses from R-son and Dolio the Sleuth.
Plenty of groups have reimagined Guthrie’s standard in recent decades,...
- 8/15/2020
- by Jonathan Bernstein
- Rollingstone.com
Daptone Records, the Brooklyn-based soul and funk label, has announced a new imprint titled Penrose Records. Started by Daptone’s co-founder Bosco Mann — who recently built a new studio in his hometown of Riverside, California — the imprint dropped an inaugural Ep titled Presenting Penrose Records.
The five-track Ep consists of Thee Sacred Souls, Jason Joshua, Thee Sinseers, Los Yesterdays and Los Angeles band the Altons, who released a video for “When You Go (That’s When You’ll Know).” Listen to the Ep below; the 45rpm singles are available for preorder.
The five-track Ep consists of Thee Sacred Souls, Jason Joshua, Thee Sinseers, Los Yesterdays and Los Angeles band the Altons, who released a video for “When You Go (That’s When You’ll Know).” Listen to the Ep below; the 45rpm singles are available for preorder.
- 3/6/2020
- by Angie Martoccio
- Rollingstone.com
With the power of their retro-tinged resistance funk, Los Angeles soul band Chicano Batman have carved a niche for themselves in the Latin indie-verse.
On Tuesday morning, the bilingual four-piece announced their upcoming album, Invisible People, due out May 1st on Ato Records.
“The goal was to make the best record we’ve never heard,” the band writes to Rolling Stone. “For the first time, we completely disregarded the ‘Can we play this live?’ challenge, shot for the sky with blatant ignorance of genre, and approached with a process that was much more varied.
On Tuesday morning, the bilingual four-piece announced their upcoming album, Invisible People, due out May 1st on Ato Records.
“The goal was to make the best record we’ve never heard,” the band writes to Rolling Stone. “For the first time, we completely disregarded the ‘Can we play this live?’ challenge, shot for the sky with blatant ignorance of genre, and approached with a process that was much more varied.
- 2/25/2020
- by Suzy Exposito
- Rollingstone.com
Here’s a partial list of musicians we lost in the 2010s: Aretha Franklin, David Bowie, Chuck Berry, Ornette Coleman, B.B. King, Etta James, Whitney Houston, Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, Prince, Merle Haggard, Kitty Wells, João Gilberto, Ravi Shankar, Tabu Ley Rochereau, David Mancuso, Amy Winehouse, Abbie Lincoln, Gil Scott Heron, George Jones, George Martin, George Michael, Allen Toussaint, Donna Summer, Phife Dawg, Prodigy, Adam Yauch, Heavy D, Captain Beefheart, Robert Hunter, Gregory Isaacs, Johnny Otis, Big Jay McNeely, Levon Helm, Kate McGarrigle, Guy Clark, Pete Seeger, Ralph Stanley, Gregg Allman,...
- 12/11/2019
- by Will Hermes
- Rollingstone.com
Thanksgiving is in the rearview and it’s the end of the road for the 2010s. That means it’s time to celebrate winter festivities with this playlist of the best Christmas and Hanukkah songs from the last decade. Grab your glockenspiel and a cup of non-dairy eggnog and cozy up to the fire with these new holiday classics. No covers allowed.
Kanye West ft. Cyhi the Prynce and Teyana Taylor, “Christmas in Harlem,” 2010
Before renouncing secular music, Kanye dabbled in a consumerist celebration of Christ’s birth.
Hayes Carll,...
Kanye West ft. Cyhi the Prynce and Teyana Taylor, “Christmas in Harlem,” 2010
Before renouncing secular music, Kanye dabbled in a consumerist celebration of Christ’s birth.
Hayes Carll,...
- 12/2/2019
- by Anna Peele
- Rollingstone.com
This past Friday, Kamala Harris, the Senator from California and a Democratic presidential hopeful, released her summer playlist, a collection of songs she’s “listening to while traveling around country.” Said Harris, “I’m a firm believer that we all need to find the time to dance, to sing and to bop our heads a little, so I’m sharing the songs I’m listening to in the car out on the campaign trail this summer. Whether we’re driving from Sacramento to Reno or Dubuque to Chicago, this playlist always lifts me up.
- 6/25/2019
- by Jon Dolan
- Rollingstone.com
Late Daptone greats Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley anchor a new all-star rendition of “Hey Brother (Do Unto Others),” the A-side to the label’s upcoming 100th 45rpm record, out June 28th.
Along with featuring posthumous performances from Jones and Bradley — who died in 2016 and 2017, respectively — the cover also honors two other late Daptone artists, Dan Klein of the Frightnrs (who wrote “Hey Brother”) and organist/bandleader Cliff Driver. “Hey Brother” originally appeared on the Frightnrs 2016 album, Nothing More to Say, which was released after Klein’s death from Als.
Along with featuring posthumous performances from Jones and Bradley — who died in 2016 and 2017, respectively — the cover also honors two other late Daptone artists, Dan Klein of the Frightnrs (who wrote “Hey Brother”) and organist/bandleader Cliff Driver. “Hey Brother” originally appeared on the Frightnrs 2016 album, Nothing More to Say, which was released after Klein’s death from Als.
- 6/13/2019
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
Daptone Records, the venerated funk and soul label responsible for releases by Sharon Jones, Charles Bradley and others, has announced big plans for its 100th 45rpm record, with the label bringing together its all-star roster of musicians for two tracks.
The A-side features “Hey Brother (Do Unto Others),” a song written by the Frightnrs, while the B-side houses The 100 Knights Orchestra’s “Soul Fugue.” “Hey Brother” features Charles Bradley, Sharon Jones, Naomi Shelton, Antibalas’ Amayo and Saun & Starr, among others. The Frightnrs originally performed the track on 2016’s Nothing More to Say,...
The A-side features “Hey Brother (Do Unto Others),” a song written by the Frightnrs, while the B-side houses The 100 Knights Orchestra’s “Soul Fugue.” “Hey Brother” features Charles Bradley, Sharon Jones, Naomi Shelton, Antibalas’ Amayo and Saun & Starr, among others. The Frightnrs originally performed the track on 2016’s Nothing More to Say,...
- 5/23/2019
- by Althea Legaspi
- Rollingstone.com
The mesmerizing voice of Shawn James, the sharp wit of Hayes Carll and the in-charge confidence of Tami Neilson are all on display in our round-up of the best country and Americana tracks of the week.
Meat Puppets, “Warranty”
With drummer Derrick Bostrom back behind the kit after a 22-year absence, Meat Puppets are reunited and revitalized, their problems transformed into backwater under the bridge. “Warranty” is the kickoff single from their newest album, Dusty Notes, and it returns the band to familiar territory — a sound rooted in college-rock jangle,...
Meat Puppets, “Warranty”
With drummer Derrick Bostrom back behind the kit after a 22-year absence, Meat Puppets are reunited and revitalized, their problems transformed into backwater under the bridge. “Warranty” is the kickoff single from their newest album, Dusty Notes, and it returns the band to familiar territory — a sound rooted in college-rock jangle,...
- 3/11/2019
- by Robert Crawford
- Rollingstone.com
Singer-songwriter Tami Neilson offers a swaggering celebration of womanhood in her new “Big Boss Mama” video, released as International Women’s Day is being observed around the globe.
In the clip, directed by Neilson’s brother Todd, the Canadian-born, New Zealand-based singer-songwriter plays the part of the corner-office executive who calls the shots. “Rules, I make ’em and I break ’em/Fools, my mama didn’t raise ’em,” she sings, as a strutting beat and trebly rockabilly guitar lay the foundation for some powerful, Sharon Jones-style belting. The video...
In the clip, directed by Neilson’s brother Todd, the Canadian-born, New Zealand-based singer-songwriter plays the part of the corner-office executive who calls the shots. “Rules, I make ’em and I break ’em/Fools, my mama didn’t raise ’em,” she sings, as a strutting beat and trebly rockabilly guitar lay the foundation for some powerful, Sharon Jones-style belting. The video...
- 3/7/2019
- by Jon Freeman
- Rollingstone.com
Cochemea Gastelum is a horn player rooted in groove music: part of a network of players associated with Brooklyn’s Daptone label, he’s worked with Amy Winehouse, Antibalas, and Sharon Jones, an anchor of her band, the Dap-Kings. His first solo album, The Electric Sounds of Johnny Arrow, showed off those roots — a parti-colored mixtape that percolated with Ethiopian funk, Afrobeat, boogaloo, wah-wah guitar, and Bitches Brew – style jazz-rock roaming.
All My Relations pushes a similar mix further out. The map-points range far afield: Northern Africa on “Al-Mu’Tasim,...
All My Relations pushes a similar mix further out. The map-points range far afield: Northern Africa on “Al-Mu’Tasim,...
- 2/27/2019
- by Will Hermes
- Rollingstone.com
When Durand Jones & the Indications released their self-titled debut album in 2016, it didn’t take long for them to notice that fans were gravitating to a particular track: “Is It Any Wonder,” a lolling, pretty soul ballad, with sharp rim-shots puncturing long lines of prepubescent falsetto from drummer Aaron Frazer. “When the album came out, within a few months there were CD bootlegs with our song on them on eBay,” remembers guitarist Blake Rhein.
These mix CDs serve as currency for fans of lowrider soul, a constituency of R&B...
These mix CDs serve as currency for fans of lowrider soul, a constituency of R&B...
- 2/21/2019
- by Elias Leight
- Rollingstone.com
Lee Fields, a 68-year-old soul singer, has a cutting tenor best suited for romantic pleas and songs of supplication. He believes that work is more valuable than ever in a time when public discourse is increasingly characterized by rancor and animosity. “There are so many things happening in the world today that would be seen as contrary to love,” Fields says. “People are becoming a bit removed from regular traditions.” He plans to counteract that with It Rains Love, which is due out April 5.
Fields has been recording intermittently since...
Fields has been recording intermittently since...
- 1/8/2019
- by Elias Leight
- Rollingstone.com
Over the last year or so, you could go to the movies and/or turn on your TV, and see feature-length docs on Grace Jones, the Tragically Hip, Lady Gaga, Elvis (both an original-recipe cradle-to-grave portrait and an extra-crispy dive into how his decline reflects our current national mindset), Eric Clapton, the Avett Brothers, Deer Tick, Ed Sheeran, music mogul Clive Davis, a semi-obscure free-jazz drummer, a multi-chapter series on hip-hop, two Peal Jam shows at Wrigley Field, not one but two Whitney Houston postmortems and a two-part look at...
- 10/2/2018
- by David Fear
- Rollingstone.com
Oscar-winning filmmaker Barbara Kopple will bring her new film, “A Murder in Mansfield,” to Investigation Discovery (ID), IndieWire has learned exclusively. The film follows the legacy of the notorious 1989 murder of Noreen Boyle in Mansfield, Ohio, through the lens of the victim’s son. “A Murder in Mansfield” premiere at Doc NYC and went on to play leading documentary film festivals such as Full Frame, AFI Docs and Idfa.
Per the official synopsis: “Eleven-year-old Collier Boyle and his family lived comfortably in Mansfield, until New Year’s Eve in 1989, when Collier’s father, Dr. Jack Boyle, murdered Noreen, his wife of 20 years. With only circumstantial evidence connecting Dr. Boyle to the crime, Collier’s devastating testimony was the key to convicting him. Now, more than two decades later, Collier returns to Ohio seeking to retrace his past and confront his imprisoned father, who remains in denial of his guilt.”
“Collier...
Per the official synopsis: “Eleven-year-old Collier Boyle and his family lived comfortably in Mansfield, until New Year’s Eve in 1989, when Collier’s father, Dr. Jack Boyle, murdered Noreen, his wife of 20 years. With only circumstantial evidence connecting Dr. Boyle to the crime, Collier’s devastating testimony was the key to convicting him. Now, more than two decades later, Collier returns to Ohio seeking to retrace his past and confront his imprisoned father, who remains in denial of his guilt.”
“Collier...
- 7/26/2018
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
The independent label sector is the wellspring of creativity in the music industry and fights hard for its market share, but for all that, it’s never really been big on celebrating itself. The annual Libera Awards, launched seven years ago by the American Association of Independent Music (A2IM) trade group, are a rare exception to that rule, and they’ve become a sort of cross between a low-key Grammys and a high-class party for the indie community — a place where you see people dressed up who you ordinarily never see dressed up except at a wedding or in a year when one of their label’s artists has a Grammy nomination. The event, presented by SoundExchange in partnership with BuzzAngle, was held Thursday night at the Best Buy Theater in New York’s Times Square, capped A2IM’s Indie Week conference and confab.
The crowd was treated...
The crowd was treated...
- 6/22/2018
- by Jem Aswad
- Variety Film + TV
Close-Up is a feature that spotlights films now playing on Mubi. Léa Mysius' Ava (2017), which is receiving an exclusive global online premiere on Mubi, is showing from December 22, 2017 - January 21, 2018 as a Special Discovery.Léa Mysius opens her debut feature, Ava, with a medium-distance shot of a crowded beach in the southwest of France. Initially, there's no focal point—the camera just takes in a sprawling mass of people, sunning themselves on the sand and splashing in the water. The composition as a whole, however, grabs the eye far more aggressively than does your average establishing shot. Mysius has chosen a section of beach with two parallel horizontal planes: the actual shoreline, where sea meets land, and an artificial shoreline made up of large rocks, maybe 10 or 15 yards into the ocean. A curved stone footpath connects the two. Within this layered landscape, dozens of beachgoers have been arranged in a...
- 12/22/2017
- MUBI
MaryAnn’s quick take… An honest and brave portrait of the trauma and grief of those in the immediate periphery of a terrible crime. A simple, intimate film, and a powerful one. I’m “biast” (pro): love Kopple’s films
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Filmmaker Barbara Kopple is a legend. She’s won two Oscars for Best Documentary, the first of which, for 1976’s Harlan County USA, honors the film that arguably kicked off the modern era of documentary filmmaking as journalistic activism. Now, her latest film is part of a reinvention of the true-crime subgenre to tell stories that are less procedural and more emotional, looking at the long-term impact not on victims or perpetrators but on those on the periphery. (See also: Yance Ford’s Strong Island, now streaming on Netflix.)
Barbara Kopple is helping to...
I’m “biast” (con): nothing
(what is this about? see my critic’s minifesto)
Filmmaker Barbara Kopple is a legend. She’s won two Oscars for Best Documentary, the first of which, for 1976’s Harlan County USA, honors the film that arguably kicked off the modern era of documentary filmmaking as journalistic activism. Now, her latest film is part of a reinvention of the true-crime subgenre to tell stories that are less procedural and more emotional, looking at the long-term impact not on victims or perpetrators but on those on the periphery. (See also: Yance Ford’s Strong Island, now streaming on Netflix.)
Barbara Kopple is helping to...
- 11/13/2017
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
“A friend of mine has this absolutely fantastic story that we should all do together.” Barbara Kopple heard these words, she tells me, on a phone call last year with producer John Morrissey (American History X). She’s likely heard such preambles before. Kopple has directed documentaries for more than 40 years, from her landmark labor-strike feature Harlan County U.S.A. to her profiles of Woody Allen (Wild Man Blues), the Dixie Chicks (Shut Up & Sing) and the late, eternally great Sharon Jones (Miss Sharon Jones!). Morrissey wanted to pitch Kopple a film on Collier Landry, an L.A.-based filmmaker whose mother […]...
- 11/12/2017
- by Soheil Rezayazdi
- Filmmaker Magazine - Blog
Chicago – The fall movie season continues in Chicago with one of the best movie-music-party celebrations of the year. CIMMfest – the Chicago International Movie & Music Festival – is back for its 9th year, and promises another blast of great sounds and movies about those sounds, in all genres.
The 2017 Chicago International Movie & Music Festival
Photo credit: CIMMfest
Here are some of the highlights from a long weekend of offerings…
Opening Night
The Opening Night film – on Thursday, November 9th – is the Chicago Premiere of “Living on Soul,” a documentary chronicling Daptone Records, a historic funk and soul label, followed by a tribute concert featuring jazz artist Lili K as Sharon Jones (a featured singer in the Daptone documentary) and a DJ set by Neal Sugarman, co-founder of Daptone Records. It all takes place at Martyrs’, 3855 N. Lincoln in Chicago.
For more information about this exciting Opening Night, click here.
Baadasssss Award
CIMMfest...
The 2017 Chicago International Movie & Music Festival
Photo credit: CIMMfest
Here are some of the highlights from a long weekend of offerings…
Opening Night
The Opening Night film – on Thursday, November 9th – is the Chicago Premiere of “Living on Soul,” a documentary chronicling Daptone Records, a historic funk and soul label, followed by a tribute concert featuring jazz artist Lili K as Sharon Jones (a featured singer in the Daptone documentary) and a DJ set by Neal Sugarman, co-founder of Daptone Records. It all takes place at Martyrs’, 3855 N. Lincoln in Chicago.
For more information about this exciting Opening Night, click here.
Baadasssss Award
CIMMfest...
- 11/9/2017
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
Indie distributor Abramorama has formalized its relationship with industry veteran Tom Hassell, hiring him as Svp and Head of Sales. He had been collaborating with the company as a consultant since 2010 on titles including recently Ron Howard’s The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years, Miss Sharon Jones!, and Listen to Me Marlon. He currently is spearheading releases campaigns for Abramorama’s Jane Goodall docu Jane from Brett Morgen whhich hit the specialty box…...
- 10/25/2017
- Deadline
"Everyone should have a musical family." The Orchard has revealed a trailer for a new music documentary called Living on Soul, looking back at the historic Daptone Records. The film is made up mostly of footage from their three-night, sold-out residency at the historic Apollo Theater back in December of 2014, as well as footage from their European tour and other interviews. Some of the key names from Daptone Records include Charles Bradley, Thomas Brenneck, and Sharon Jones. This doc project was also funded on Kickstarter, and co-director Jeff Broadway provides an extensive behind-the-scenes look at how they filmed this and how it all came together. Looks like a groovy, historic music doc filled with plenty of funk and soul. Here's the trailer (+ poster) for Cory Bailey & Jeff Broadway's documentary Living on Soul, on YouTube: Filmed during their three-night, sold-out residency at the historic Apollo Theater, this hybrid docu-concert film...
- 10/20/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
You’ve likely heard of Sharon Jones and Charles Bradley, and perhaps you’ve seen their documentaries (“Miss Sharon Jones!” and “Charles Bradley: Soul Of America“). However, those two late, great soul titans are the cornerstones of Daptone Records, and in the upcoming film “Living On Soul,” you’ll get to meet the rest of their musical family.
Continue reading ‘Living On Soul’ Trailer: Celebrate The Daptone Records Family [Exclusive] at The Playlist.
Continue reading ‘Living On Soul’ Trailer: Celebrate The Daptone Records Family [Exclusive] at The Playlist.
- 10/18/2017
- by Kevin Jagernauth
- The Playlist
The Final Year Photo: Courtesy of Doc NYC
The line-up for the eighth Doc NYC film festival has been announced. The festival, which runs from November 9 to 16 in Manhattan, will feature 23 world premieres, with more than 350 filmmakers and special guests expected in person to present their films or participate on panels.
The festival will open with The Final Year - Greg Barker's documentary about the final year of president Barack Obama's foreign policy administration - and close with musical profile Eric Clapton: Life In 12 Bars, with the guitarist and songwriter in attendance.
The Centerpiece Film, will be the world premiere of Far From the Tree, director Rachel Dretzin’s adaptation of Andrew Solomon’s bestselling book about parental love in many forms.
World premieres at the festival include A Murder in Mansfield, by Barbara Kopple (Miss Sharon Jones!), which explores the impact of a 1989 murder on a family; Maynard,...
The line-up for the eighth Doc NYC film festival has been announced. The festival, which runs from November 9 to 16 in Manhattan, will feature 23 world premieres, with more than 350 filmmakers and special guests expected in person to present their films or participate on panels.
The festival will open with The Final Year - Greg Barker's documentary about the final year of president Barack Obama's foreign policy administration - and close with musical profile Eric Clapton: Life In 12 Bars, with the guitarist and songwriter in attendance.
The Centerpiece Film, will be the world premiere of Far From the Tree, director Rachel Dretzin’s adaptation of Andrew Solomon’s bestselling book about parental love in many forms.
World premieres at the festival include A Murder in Mansfield, by Barbara Kopple (Miss Sharon Jones!), which explores the impact of a 1989 murder on a family; Maynard,...
- 10/12/2017
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
The world lost an irreplaceable voice with the passing of soul singer Sharon Jones last November, but at least Jones got the chance to go into the studio one last time before her untimely death from pancreatic cancer. Today, Jones’ record label, Daptone Records, announced one last studio album from Sharon Jones and…
Read more...
Read more...
- 10/10/2017
- by Katie Rife
- avclub.com
A Final, Posthumous Sharon Jones Album Has Been Announced, With a New Song...
- 10/10/2017
- Pastemagazine.com
In December 2014, a group of soul, funk and gospel singers associated with Daptone Records presented a three-night concert at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem that almost literally raised the roof. Now, documentary filmmakers Jeff Broadway and Cory Bailey have chronicled that concert and incorporated some background on many of the performers and musicians. The result, Living on Soul, which had its world premiere at the La Film Festival, is a rousing film that takes on added poignancy as a result of the death of Daptone star Sharon Jones at the end of last year. Among concert films, this has...
- 6/23/2017
- by Stephen Farber
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
04.27.17: This list is now final. While I may in the future see additional films that were released in the awards year of 2016, no more films will be added to this list. (I may add links to reviews of films listed here.)
This ranking includes only new theatrical releases viewed for the awards year of 2016 (for eligibility for the Academy Awards and the Ofcs and Awfj awards); some films released in the UK without Us releases (and so ineligible for those awards this year) may also be included, for my own bookkeeping purposes. Links go to my review. Numbers after each entry are Date First Viewed/NYC Release Date/London Release Date; year is 2016 unless otherwise noted.
worth paying multiplex prices for
[5 stars]
Arrival (10.10/11.11/11.10)
La La Land (10.07/12.09/01.13.17)
A Monster Calls (10.06/12.23/01.01.17)
The Lobster (07.16.15/05.13/10.16.15)
Zootropolis (aka Zootopia) (02.22/03.04/03.25)
A Bigger Splash (10.08.15/05.04/02.12)
Miss Sloane (11.20/11.25/05.12.17)
London Road (06.03.15/09.09/06.12.15)
The Girl with All the Gifts (07.26/02.24.17/09.23)
I, Daniel Blake...
This ranking includes only new theatrical releases viewed for the awards year of 2016 (for eligibility for the Academy Awards and the Ofcs and Awfj awards); some films released in the UK without Us releases (and so ineligible for those awards this year) may also be included, for my own bookkeeping purposes. Links go to my review. Numbers after each entry are Date First Viewed/NYC Release Date/London Release Date; year is 2016 unless otherwise noted.
worth paying multiplex prices for
[5 stars]
Arrival (10.10/11.11/11.10)
La La Land (10.07/12.09/01.13.17)
A Monster Calls (10.06/12.23/01.01.17)
The Lobster (07.16.15/05.13/10.16.15)
Zootropolis (aka Zootopia) (02.22/03.04/03.25)
A Bigger Splash (10.08.15/05.04/02.12)
Miss Sloane (11.20/11.25/05.12.17)
London Road (06.03.15/09.09/06.12.15)
The Girl with All the Gifts (07.26/02.24.17/09.23)
I, Daniel Blake...
- 4/27/2017
- by MaryAnn Johanson
- www.flickfilosopher.com
The move comes as the Los Angeles-based film and TV company ramps up operations.
The Los Angeles-based film and TV company that co-financed last year’s best picture Oscar winner Spotlight has named Jason Fisher senior vice-president and head of production and Ryan Heller vice-president of acquisitions.
The new hires come as First Look Media continues to expand its programming and content team. The company has just boarded the Ben Foster drama My Abandonment with Bron Creative.
Fisher (main picture) will oversee a growing number of scripted and unscripted productions for digital, television and film, while Heller takes the lead on forging new partnerships and ramping up acquisitions to complement original programming.
Both will report to First Look Media executive vice-president of programming and content Adam Pincus.
Fisher, who began his career as a film producer, served as senior vice-president and head of production at AMC Networks where he helped create the in-house studio behind The Walking Dead, Mad Men...
The Los Angeles-based film and TV company that co-financed last year’s best picture Oscar winner Spotlight has named Jason Fisher senior vice-president and head of production and Ryan Heller vice-president of acquisitions.
The new hires come as First Look Media continues to expand its programming and content team. The company has just boarded the Ben Foster drama My Abandonment with Bron Creative.
Fisher (main picture) will oversee a growing number of scripted and unscripted productions for digital, television and film, while Heller takes the lead on forging new partnerships and ramping up acquisitions to complement original programming.
Both will report to First Look Media executive vice-president of programming and content Adam Pincus.
Fisher, who began his career as a film producer, served as senior vice-president and head of production at AMC Networks where he helped create the in-house studio behind The Walking Dead, Mad Men...
- 2/22/2017
- ScreenDaily
The Grammy Awards venue is only so large and the guest list is oh-so-exclusive, but that doesn’t mean you can’t dance and sing along with the stars — at home!
Deejay Michelle Pesce — who is spinning tunes at the Grammy’s official after party — is sharing exclusively with People her list of 15 must-have songs if you’re throwing your own Grammy bash.
“My 2017 Grammy Playlist includes songs that you can shake yo’ booty to and others that you’ll feel deep within your soul — and a few that do both!” says Pesce. “From Grammy nominated songs to this year...
Deejay Michelle Pesce — who is spinning tunes at the Grammy’s official after party — is sharing exclusively with People her list of 15 must-have songs if you’re throwing your own Grammy bash.
“My 2017 Grammy Playlist includes songs that you can shake yo’ booty to and others that you’ll feel deep within your soul — and a few that do both!” says Pesce. “From Grammy nominated songs to this year...
- 2/7/2017
- by Nicole Sands
- PEOPLE.com
Two-time Oscar winner Barbara Kopple made Sundance history last month when her documentary “This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous” became the first YouTube Red original film to premiere as an official selection at the festival.
Read More: Two-Time Oscar Winner Barbara Kopple: ‘Miss Sharon Jones!’ Director Says This Is the Golden Age of Documentaries
The story of transgender internet star Gigi Gorgeous, “This Is Everything” chronicles the transformation of Gigi Lazzarato, a courageous young woman who began posting beauty and fashion videos on YouTube as a Toronto high school student when she was still known as Gregory Lazzarato. The film opens Friday for one-week runs at the IFC Center in New York and at Laemmle Music Hall in Los Angeles before premiering on YouTube Red on February 8.
Lazzarato’s rise to internet stardom came after years of encouraging her YouTube viewers to express themselves in the face of bullies and online harassment.
Read More: Two-Time Oscar Winner Barbara Kopple: ‘Miss Sharon Jones!’ Director Says This Is the Golden Age of Documentaries
The story of transgender internet star Gigi Gorgeous, “This Is Everything” chronicles the transformation of Gigi Lazzarato, a courageous young woman who began posting beauty and fashion videos on YouTube as a Toronto high school student when she was still known as Gregory Lazzarato. The film opens Friday for one-week runs at the IFC Center in New York and at Laemmle Music Hall in Los Angeles before premiering on YouTube Red on February 8.
Lazzarato’s rise to internet stardom came after years of encouraging her YouTube viewers to express themselves in the face of bullies and online harassment.
- 2/3/2017
- by Graham Winfrey
- Indiewire
One of Barbara Kopple’s great gifts as a documentarian is that she can turn any subject into a story. Whether she’s doing celebrity portraiture (as in her 2006 Dixie Chicks tour film Shut Up & Sing or her recent Miss Sharon Jones!) or she’s on the front-lines of organized labor disputes (as in the Oscar-winning Harlan County, USA and American Dream), Kopple always looks for the strong narrative line, so she can explore bigger issues through the natural pull of everyday drama. Her filmography is so eclectic that it’s sometimes hard to put her work into any particular category or genre. She’s never been exclusively a “verité” director, or a political polemicist. She mostly just tries to connect two sets of human beings: the ones on her screen and the ones watching.
With This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous, Kopple had the challenge of documenting someone ...
With This Is Everything: Gigi Gorgeous, Kopple had the challenge of documenting someone ...
- 1/31/2017
- by Noel Murray
- avclub.com
Tori Amos has been composing since the age of five, but she’s never written a song like this. “Flicker” runs over the credits of Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk’s “Audrie & Daisy,” the Netflix documentary that documents three teenage girls’ experience with rape and the cyberbullying that followed.
It’s a searing original composition, one that addresses a topic that deeply resonates with the longtime Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network spokesperson, and is now considered a favorite for an Oscar nomination. How do you write a piece like this? As she said, “You have to be a fucking hunter and hunt that frequency down.” Here’s what it’s like to be on that hunt.
Anne Thompson: How did you come to write the song for Netflix documentary “Audrie & Daisy”?
Tori Amos: Netflix got in touch with me. And they wanted to know if I would watch a...
It’s a searing original composition, one that addresses a topic that deeply resonates with the longtime Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network spokesperson, and is now considered a favorite for an Oscar nomination. How do you write a piece like this? As she said, “You have to be a fucking hunter and hunt that frequency down.” Here’s what it’s like to be on that hunt.
Anne Thompson: How did you come to write the song for Netflix documentary “Audrie & Daisy”?
Tori Amos: Netflix got in touch with me. And they wanted to know if I would watch a...
- 1/17/2017
- by Anne Thompson
- Thompson on Hollywood
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